Improvement in skates



UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

owEN W. TAET, or NEW YORK, N. Y.

IMPROVEMENT IN sKATEs.

Specification forming part of Letters Patent No. 218,601, dated `July 4, 1865.

To all whom t may concern:

Be it known that I, OWEN W. TAF'r, of the city, county, and State of New York, have invented a .new and useful `Improvement in Skates; and I do hereby declare that the following is a full, clear, and exact description thereof, which will enable others skilled in the art to make and use vthe same, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, forming part of this specification, in Which- Figure l represents a sectional side elevation of this invention. Fig. 2 isan inverted plan of the foot-plate having the heater `attached to it.

Similar letters Vof reference indicate corresponding parts.

This invention consists .in the combination of a heating-chamber with the foot-plate of a skate in such a manner that by inserting into said chamber a heated stone or'other body or a burning lamp the foot-plate is warmed and the feet of the skater are prevented from getting cold.

j It consists,further, in making the foot-plate of a skate removable in such a manner that it can be conveniently taken off in order to get access to the heating-chamber below.

It consists, finally, in the application to the foot-plate of hook-catches, in combination with studs projecting from the sides of the heater, and with a spring secured to the upper surface thereof in such a manner that by the-combined action of said spring, studs, and hookcatches the heater is held in position and prevented from moving to andfro in the heatingchamber, and by pressing said heater toward the foot-plate and moving it forward the hookcatches are caused to release the studs, and the heater can thus b e readily detached from the foot-plate.

A represents a skate, made in the usual form an'd manner, with a runner, B, and foot-plate G. Said foot-plate is elevated above the runner to such a height that room is obtained for the heatingchamber D. This chamber is either cast solid with the body of the skate or it maybe stamped out of sheet metal and attached to said skate in any suitable manner.

The foot-plate C, or at 1east the principal portion of the same', is made of a piece of sheet metal, or it may be cast, and it is perforated with a large number of holes, which are intended to allow the heated air from the interior of the chamber D to come in direct contact with the foot of the skater. Said foot-plate is made removable, being held in place by hooks a in front and by a button, b, or other device in the rear, so that it can be readily taken off in order 5to get access to the interior of the heating-chamber. The sides of the heatingchamber are intended to be protectedfby a lining of felt or other good non-conductor of heat to prevent radiation,l and said chamber is made to receive a heater, E, of soapstone or any other suitable material; or it may be arranged to receive a burning lamp, though in practice a heater is preferable. By said heater the foot-plate is kept warm and the foot of the skater is prevented from getting cold.

The heater E is secured to the under surface of the foot-plate C by means of hook-catches d, which project downward from said foot-plate, and which are so formed that they catch over studs e projecting from the sides ofthe heater, as clearly shown in Fig. 2 of the drawings. l

'cap, F, with a suitable strap, G, and by a heelcap, H, with a suitable strap, I, or by anyother suitable means, though I prefer to use the toecap in combination with the heating-chamber, so as to prevent the feet from cooling oft' after the heater has become cold. By means of this heating arrangement the skater is enabled to keep his feet warm and the` pleasure of skating is not marred by the painful feeling of cold or frost-bitten toes.

Having thus described my invention, I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent- 1. The application to a skate of a'heating attachment substantially such as herein described, or any equivalent thereof, for the purstuds e, and spring g, constructed and operan poses set forth. ing substantially as and for the purpose son 2. Making the foot-plate of a. skate detaehforth. able, substantially as and for'the purpose speci- OWEN W. TAF'I. fied. Witnesses:

3. The hook-oatehes d and forked stud f, G. L. TOPLIFF, in combination with the footpinte G, heater E, M. M. LIVINGSTON. 

